Ep. 5 - Revolutionizing Places: Energy Solutions, AI, and Building Technologies - with Mead Rusert
On this episode of CRE Unplugged, we sit down with Mead Rusert, VP and GM of Building Technologies at Carrier. With over 30 years of experience under his (tool)belt, Mead’s the man behind the controls at Carrier’s Automated Logic, where he’s basically the maestro of everything that isn’t HVAC.
Why should you listen? Because smarter buildings equal smarter people—or at least more productive ones. From hiking treks in New Mexico with a bunch of teenage boys (seriously, the guy’s brave) to leading cutting-edge innovations at Carrier, Mead walks us through his career and why building technology isn’t just about wires and sensors—it’s about making life better for the people inside those buildings.
We also ask the million-dollar questions: Have property owners finally wised up since COVID about better building environments? Is indoor air quality the secret sauce for worker productivity? And how is AI shaking things up in the building world?
Mead shares some killer advice for those wanting to break into the industry, reveals what he wishes his younger self knew, and tells us how he manages to “unplug”—because even the king of smart buildings needs downtime. Oh, and he gives us a sneak peek at what he’ll be discussing at Blueprint (spoiler alert: it’s going to be good).
Show Notes:
1:01: Intro banter / Ryan’s love of Gipsy Kings and Nadine crowd surfs
5:30: Why listening to Mead matters today
7:03: Intro to Mead and his New Mexico hiking trek with teenage boys
8:58: Mead walks us through his career journey
12:34: “Making Buildings Better Through Building Technology”
16:52: Have property owners' mindsets shifted since COVID on better building environments?
18:58: Deep dive into the different building technology Carrier offers
26:30: Mead highlights a key benefit of using the right building technology
29:37: Does indoor air quality impact worker productivity?
32:57: AI’s impact on building technology
35:18: Mead offers advice for entering the building technology industry
38:07: What advice would Mead give his younger self?
39:04: How does Mead “unplug”?
40:24: What will Mead be discussing at Blueprint?
44:06: Nadine and Ryan wrap it all up!
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